... some tips along the way.
For a long time,
Steve Friedman squeezed out a living writing magazine stories about celebrities. When he had time, he wrote stories he loved, stories about recovered drug-addict marathon runners, and the like. Then, one day, he landed a teaching job at the University of Missouri Journalism School. Now, he is writer-at-large for the Rodale Sports Group. He has a book coming out later this year.
Here are his four commandments -- fleshed out with tips from the 30 or so editors and writers he e-mailed earlier this week -- for leading "a happy and productive writer's life."
18 Be a reader. Friedman quoted from
"Reading Like a Writer," by Francine Prose. "Writers learn from reading the work of their predecessors."
19 Find great stories. "There's no level below which you should not sink in your quest for great stories," Friedman said. Find them in the newspaper. Be curious. Ask people, straight-up, for story ideas. Be blunt and even rude, if you have to. Ask friends and family. "Motives don't matter when you're looking for story ideas," Friedman said.
20 Be a reporter. Do lots of interviews. Do them long. Hang out. Shoot the bull. Take some time to not ask questions. Ask yourself if a scene you witness is really significant, or if it just seems that way because you, the reporter, are there. And "when you hear a great story," Friedman said, "get it from someone else, too." Verify the story. Get details.
21 Be a writer. Rewrite the lead -- and the whole damn thing. Savor the process.
In captivating detail, Friedman illustrated his commandments, guiding us though several of his most delightful, enlightening and outright bizarre stories.
Most of them will appear in his new book,
"The Agony of Victory," due out in October.
Coming soon >>> Chip's literary history of Hartford -- really, I promise. Dan Barry on story ideas. And more @ left.
